The Calgary Flames fall training camp came and went, leaving Linden Vey unsatisfied.
The 25-year-old forward was unhappy with his offensive production and, in his eyes, made an underwhelming first impression on his new club.
But, looking back, he considered the premature demotion to the Flames American Hockey League farm team in Stockton to be a blessing in disguise.
“Going down there was almost a good thing for me,” Vey was saying on Thursday morning at the Scotiabank Saddledome where he set-up shop beside Brett Kulak in the Flames locker room. “I didn’t come to camp with a whole lot of confidence.